Lifeboat-derrick



C. H. FULLER.

LIFEBOAT DERRICK.

INVENTOR 2H/@L53 @um A TTORNE Y c. H. FULLER. LIFEBOAT DERRICK. APPLICATION FILED MAYIQ. |919.

' Patented Aug.r4 2, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2- C. H. FULLER.

LIFEBOAT DERRICK.

APPLICATION EILED 4l/w19. 1919.

Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 Ma-ALM.

A TTORNE Y C. H. FULLER.

LIFEBoAT DERRICK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I9, 1919. l 1,386, 102. A Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT IOFFICE.

CHARLES H. FULLER, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

LIFEBOAT-DERRIGK.

Application filed May 19,

To all w/om it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. FULLER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Portland, county of Multnomah, and State of Gregori, have invented a new and useful Lifeboat-Derrick, of which the fol lowing is a. specification.

This invention relates more particularly to a means for operating a life boat between the deck of a vessel and the water.

The object of my invention is to provide an exceedingly simple and eiiicient means for launching a life boat from the deck of ax vessel as well as returning same to the deck after having been launched.

I attain these objects in the mannerdescribed in the following specication and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my device showing the boat being lowered over the ships side. Fig. 9. is an end elevation of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the boom head. Fig. -l is a front elevation of same. Fig. 5 is a plan of the boom head. Fig. 6 is .a sectional elevation along the line 11-11 in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a. sectional elevation along the line 12-12 in Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a diagramma-tic view showing the relation of the running parts of the line with the various sets of blocks, mast, boom and boat. Fig. 9 is a detailed plan of the boat block. Fig. 10 is a sectional view through line 15-15 in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a front elevation of boat block. Fig. 12 is a front elevation of boom block which'in one case is used as a boat block. Fig. 13 is a plan of Fig. 12. Fig. 14 is a sectional view along the line 19-19 in Fig. 13. Fig. 15 is a plan of mast head. Fig. 16 is a side elevation of mast head. Fig. 17 is a sectional view through line 22-22 in Fig. 16. Fig. 18 is a Yside elevation of foot of boom. Fig. 19 is a front elevation of Fig. 18. Fig. 2O is a plan of boom brace hinge. Fig. 21 is an elevation of same. Fig. 2:2 is a plan of the mast foot. Fig. 23 is an elevation of same.

Similar letters and numbers of reference refer to Jthe same or similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring in detail to the drawings. Instead of the usual form of davit for the operation of a life boat I have constructed the mast- A1 which in this case rests upon the Specification of Letters Patent.

1919. Serial No. 298,105.

vtop of the operating gear which is at one end of the life boat. At the opposite end of the life boat is erected the mast A2 which is supported on the foot A3 in the socket A., On the foot A0 is also erected the standard A5 which carriesthe pin A0 and acts as a hinged joint for the foot of a boom. A7 are mast heads which are mounted on Al and A2 and are supplied with the eyes A0 to which are secured the mast braces A10 which are secured to the deck by eye bolts. All is a foot for the mast A1 and is secured to the top of the operating winch. A12 is a standard for the boom nearest the winch.

F1 are booms which have boem joints F2 at their lower ends which are adapted to receive the pins A0 and form a hinged joint. F3 are boom heads which are supplied with shanks F4 which are adapted to slide into the hollow booms F1. In the boom head F3 are mounted the sheaves F5 to F12 inclusive, the pin F1..g acting as a pivot for the sheaves F5 and F0. rlhe bolts F1., act as a pivot for the sheaves F11 and F12, and the bolts F1., act as centers for the sheaves F7, F0, F0 and F10. F10V is an eye on boom head F3 for a stay between the boom heads. F17 is a similar eye on the `boom head for attaching a diagonal brace. F18 is a stay between the boom heads, in which stay is placed the turn buckle Fw. F20 is the diagonal brace which ties the eye F17 to the floor plate F22 which is secured to the deck. The brace F20 is made adjustable by the turn buckle F21 and is joined to the Hoor plate F22 by means of the bolts F23.

In order to operate the lines safely, easily and uniformly I have constructed a special form of winch which I will describe here only briefly. Against the hub H0, which forms a part of the winch, is mounted a boat operating drum which is adapted to receive the inboard boat operating lines. The hand boat lever K12 throws the boat operating drum in and out of gear. Against the other hub H4, which forms a part of the winch, is mounted a boom operating drum arranged to receive the outboard boom operating lines. The boom operating drum is controlled by the hand boom lever L11.

Between the boat operating drum and the boom operating drum is mounted a worm wheel driven by a worm carried by the shaft M5. This worm wheel is adapted to be connected to either drum or to be free from both of them at will. M7 is an operating crank on the shaft M5 through which rotation is supplied to either or both of the drums. M8 are the outboard stops and MD the inboard stops on the boat lines.

Referring to the various blocks on my device O1 is a direct mast block. O2 is a near indirect mast block and 03 is a t'ar indirect mast block. O4 is a double block to boat. O5 is a single block to boat. OG is a far single block to boat. O7 are the boat blocks and 0 is a sheave in the block O1. 09 are' sheaves in the blocks O2, 03 land O6. In the block O4 is a large sheave O11 and a small sheave 012. 01 is a sheave in the block O5. O15 is a sheave in the block OT. O16 are hooks secured to the boat blocks O7 which engage the rings on the lite boat.

vReferring particularly to the various operations of the lines, l, represents the line which passes from the boat operating drum to the small sheave 01.2. R2 'from O12 to the sheave N. R1., from OL, to the sheave FT. R, from FT to the sheave FG. R., from E, to the sheave FS. R6 from F8 to the outboard stop MS on the boat line. RT from M, to the sheave O15. RS from OL., to the inboard stop 0 on the boat line. R, from M to the sheave F12. R10 from F12 to the sheave F5. R11 from F5 to the sheave F10. R12 from Fw to the mast head sheave AS. R13 from AS to the sheave 0S. R1 from O8 to the boom operating drum.

The operation of the lines at the farther end of the device, that is away from the winch, is as i'ollows: The line S1 entends.

from the boat operating drum to the sheave On. S.2 from O1l to the sheave O9 in the block O6. SI., represents the line which passes through the sheaves Vot the boom head and the boat block at the farther end of the boat, as above explained. S,l from the boom head to the sheave A8 on the mast head. S5 from AS to the sheave O9 in the block O3. S from O9 in block Op, to the sheave O0 in block O2. S7 from O., in block O2 to the drum L1.

TL is a life boat which contains a coil of boom control line which passes over the block T3 on the stay F18 and thence over the sheave T,L and down to the boom control line lever T5.

U1 represents the boat control lever which actuates the boat line drum brake. U16 represents the ships deck and U17 the boat control line which extends 'from the lever U1 to the boat, in the same manner as does the boom control line T2. While the boat and boom lines may be controlled by the lines U17 and T2 by the occupants of the boat T1, they may also be controlled by action otra hand lever which controls the lboom lines, and a second hand lever which controls the boat line. Each of the hand levers just mentioned will set their respective brakes when their Jfree end is raised, and they may be held in position by engagement with ratchet teeth.

ltwill be very apparent to anyone ifamiliar with this class of apparatus that it is very desirable in launching a life boat trom the deck of a vessel to lower it into the water at a point which is as far from the ships lside as possible. rlhis object l attain by means of the derrick-like construction of my device. Absolute control over the boom is maintained at all times, since the lines which operate the boom are opposed to each other and have a purchase on the boom from opposite sides of the boom center line at all times.

An inspection of Fig. 8, which is a diagrammatic view of one side of the lines, will very clearly show the principle involved in my invention. this case A represents the centerline of the inboard row of blocks. B is the center line of the boom controlling drum. C is the center line-of the mast head. D is the center line of the boat controlling drum. E is the center line of the outboard row of blocks, and FV is the center line ci the boom head. 1While in this view I have not shown all of the intermediate sheaves required to change the direction and guide the lines involved, I have shown thosewhich are suiiicient to illustrate the principle which renders my device incapable of jackkniting, and also provides a remarkable control over the operationrot1 the lifeboat.

lt will be seen in Fig. 8 that with a li1nited su ply of line ,on the boom operating drum tiat the stop M9' will limit the out-V board position of the boom. It will be understood that the stops Ms and M9 cannot pass through the sheaves in thev boom head but are capableof being passed through the boat block O7. Therefore, if the life boat isy to be lowered beyond a point whichV is outside of the reach of the boom, any further descent of the boat could only be accomplished by playing out the lines from the boat operating4 drum, in which event the stop M8 will pass through the boat block O7 and the boat will descend as permitted by the boat line drum brake.

Special attention is called to the fact that on account of the peculiar construction of my device the booms may be operated inboard as wellas outboard with an equal degree of control, which feature permits the bringing up of boats from storage or from between decks, provided the apparatus is placed within range of a suitable hatchvvay7 which will e'lect a considerable saving in deck space, as well as the number of derricks for handling thel boats.

Of course in the launching of boats from their position between the masts it is easily seen that the boat must first be lifted clear of its chucks, and' ii'notA resting on chucks lOO then it must be clear of the deck during its outward travel. However, as soon as the boat has passed overboard then both the boat and the boom lines may be played out at the same time, which operation is accomplished by releasing the respective brakes, the work being done by gravity.

lVhile I have thus illustrated and described my invention it is not my desire to limit myself to this precise i'orm or method of application or' my invention, but intend that it shall cover all forms and modifications that 'fall fairly within the appended claims.

lVhat I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent ot' the United States is:

l. A life boat derrick consisting of a pair of derricks adapted to receive a life boat between them, each derrick consisting of a vertical mastmounted on a deck and having boom hinged near its foot, a hauling line arranged to pass from a point on the deck inboard from said mast, over the top of said mast, thence over the head of said boom to a boat block, thence back through said boom head to a point on the deck outboard from said mast.

A. life boat derrick consisting of a pair 0f derricks adapted to receive a life boat between them, each derrick consisting of a vertical mast mounted on a deck and having a boom hinged near its foot, a hauling line arranged to pass from a point on the deck inboard from said mast, over the top of said mast, thence over the head of said boom to a boa-t block, thence through said boom head to a point on the deck outboard from said mast, and a winch member adapted to haul in and play out each end of said line member.

3. A life boat derrick consisting of a pair ot derricks adapted to receive a life boat between them, each derrick consisting of a vertical mast mounted on a deck and having a boom hinged near its foot, a hauling line arranged to pass troni a point on the deck inboard from said mast, over the top of said mast, thence over the head of said boom to a boat block, thence through said boom head to a point on the deck outboard from said mast, and a stop means consisting of two stop members secured to said line beyond said boom head and of a nature to permit same to pass through the boat b lock but not over said boom head.

4. A life boat derrick of the character described, in combination with a boom head consisting of a frame member mounted on the head ci a swinging boom, four sheave members mounted in said frame in tandem and in pairs in a plane parallel to the movement of said boom, direction changing sheaves mounted in said frame at right angles to, above and between the inner edge of each pair o' lirst mentioned sheaves, and a line guiding sheave mounted in the same plane below and between each tandem pair of first mentioned sheaves.

CHARLES H. FULLER. 

